Headgear

ABSTRACT

A garment intended to be worn on the head of a user which includes a pliable sheet shaped member having a 1st generally planar side and a 2nd generally planar side. The garment includes an elongated elastic band disposed in an arc shaped array on one of the generally planar sides and secured to the pliable sheet shaped member along substantially all of the axial extent of the elastic band, the array of the elongated elastic band being dimensioned and configured to reach around the head of a user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application contains subject matter which is related to the subjectmatter of the U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/961,045 filedon Oct. 5, 2013 by the inventor herein namely Juan McRae. Priority ofthat application is claimed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is generally directed to clothing. Moreparticularly, the present invention is directed to a novel headgear.Even more particularly, the present invention is directed to headgearthat enables the display of indicia such as indicia of various sportsteams as well as indicia of other commercial brands. While thedescription herein may refer specifically to towels it will beunderstood that the invention has application to any sheet shapedmaterial and is not limited to terry cloth fabrics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known in the art to utilize a towel that is draped on or wrappedaround the head of the user. In some cases towel made be used to assistin drying the hair after the hair is washed. In some cases the towel maybe moistened for placement on the body of the user to facilitate theproperty cooling of the user.

Although, techniques are known for wrapping towels around the head of auser in a manner that is substantially stable such techniques typicallyrequire overlapping layers of cloth. Such overlapping layers compromisethe aesthetic appearance of the user as well as the aesthetic appearanceof the towel. In addition the multiple layers also inhibit evaporativecooling.

From the above, it is therefore seen that there exists a need in the artto overcome the deficiencies and limitations described herein and above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is now been found that the object of the present invention may beachieved in a garment intended to be worn on the head of a user whichincludes a pliable sheet shaped member having a 1st generally planarside and a 2nd generally planar side. The garment includes an elongatedelastic band disposed in an arc shaped array on one of the generallyplanar sides and secured to the pliable sheet shaped member alongsubstantially all of the axial extent of the elastic band, the array ofthe elongated elastic band being dimensioned and configured to reacharound the head of a user.

In some embodiments of the present invention the garment furtherincludes a brim extending from the pliable sheet shaped member. Thegarment may include a pliable sheet shaped member that is generallyrectangular with 2 opposed first edges that are longer than the other 2opposed edges. Some embodiments of the present invention include a brimthat extends from one of the first opposed edges.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a garment intended tobe worn on the head of a user which includes a pliable sheet shapedmember having a 1^(st) generally planar side and a 2^(nd) generallyplanar side; an elongated draw string disposed in an arc shaped array onone of said generally planar sides and secured to said pliable sheetshaped member along an axial part of said draw string in a manner thatallows axial movement of said draw string relative to said pliable sheetshaped member, said array of said draw string being dimensioned andconfigured to reach around the head of a user.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to secure a towelon the head of a user in a manner that avoids overlapping respectiveportions of a given towel.

It is another object of the present invention to secure a towel on thehead of a user in a manner that is stable so that the user does not haveto straighten the towel.

It is a still further object of the present invention to securely mountthe towel to the head of the user in a manner that facilitates displayof indicia on the towel corresponding to athletic teams and/or othercommercial brands.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniquesof the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the inventionare described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimedinvention.

The recitation herein of desirable objects which are met by variousembodiments of the present invention is not meant to imply or suggestthat any or all of these objects are present as essential features,either individually or collectively, in the most general embodiment ofthe present invention or in any of its more specific embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of thespecification. The invention, however, both as to organization andmethod of practice, together with the further objects and advantagesthereof, may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the general manner in which a 1^(st)embodiment of the present invention drapes over the head of a user. Forsimplicity the body of the garment is referred to herein as a towel. Inthis view an elastic band constrains the towel against the head of theuser.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a 2^(nd) embodiment that includes a visorthat projects laterally from the head of a user. In this view an elasticband also constrains the towel against the head of the user.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the 2^(nd) embodiment also illustrated inFIG. 2 with the elastic band extended in a manner to allow the towel toappear to be flat on a generally planar surface.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating the 1st embodiment with the elastic bandextended in a manner to allow the towel to appear to be flat on agenerally planar surface. The illustrated elastic band may ultimately bepositioned on the outer face of the towel when the towel is positionedon the head of a user as shown in FIG. 1 or alternatively on the innerface of the towel when the towel is positioned on the head of a user inother embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a 3^(rd) embodiment having a draw stringattached to the towel by stitching that allows relative axial movement.

FIG. 6 is a view of the 3^(rd) embodiment with the draw string stretchedto allow the towel to appear to be flat on a generally planar surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4 there is shown a 1^(st) embodiment of thepresent invention that includes a towel 12. In a preferred embodiment anelastic band 14 having opposed planar sides is secured by stitches tothe towel 12. More specifically, one of the planar sides of the elasticband 14 is disposed in face to face of abutting relationship with thetowel 12. In most embodiments the elastic band 14 is arrayed on thetowel in a circular shape that is dimensioned and configured tocomfortably engage the head of a user. As shown in FIG. 1 in the elasticband may be disposed on the outer face of the towel when it is placed onthe head of a user. In other embodiments the elastic band 12 may beplaced on the inner face of the towel 12. Thus, FIG. 4 may be construedas of an embodiment of the present invention in which the elastic band14 is disposed on the inner face of the towel 12.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a 2^(nd) embodiment of the present inventionthat further include a brim 16 similar to that which is often used onbaseball caps.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a 3^(rd) embodiment of the present invention isfurther includes a drawstring 20 that is attached to the towel 12 toallow relative axial movement.

Embodiments of the present invention have indicia on the towel which mayalso be referred to as a planar sheet shaped member. The indicia may beof one or more athletic teams and or other commercial brand. The sheetsshaped member may be all or part cotton, all or part synthetic materialsor part or all of your any other woven material. Still other embodimentsmay utilize nonwoven materials.

The publications and patent applications mentioned in this specificationare indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art towhich this invention pertains. All publications and patent applicationsare herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if eachindividual publication or patent application was specifically andindividually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Although the description above contains many specifics, these should notbe construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this invention. Thus, the scope of this invention should bedetermined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the presentinvention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obviousto those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present inventionis accordingly to be limited by the appended claims, in which referenceto an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one”unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural,chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of theabove-described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinaryskill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and areintended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is notnecessary for a device or method to address each and every problemsought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassedby the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or methodstep in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the publicregardless of whether the element, component, or method step isexplicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to beconstrued under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unlessthe element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment intended to be worn on the head of auser which comprises: a pliable sheet shaped member having a 1^(st)generally planar side and a 2^(nd) generally planar side; an elongatedelastic band disposed in an arc shaped array on one of said generallyplanar sides and secured to said pliable sheet shaped member alongsubstantially all of the axial extent of said elastic band, said arrayof said elongated elastic band being dimensioned and configured to reacharound the head of a user.
 2. The garment as described in claim 2further including a brim extending from said pliable sheet shapedmember.
 3. The garment as described in claim 2 wherein said pliablesheet shaped member is generally rectangular with 2 opposed first edgesthat are longer than the other 2 opposed edges.
 4. The garment asdescribed in claim 3 wherein said brim extends from one of said firstopposed edges.
 5. The garment as described in claim 4 wherein saidpliable sheet shaped member is generally rectangular with 2 opposedfirst edges that are longer than the other 2 opposed edges.
 6. A garmentintended to be worn on the head of a user which comprises: a pliablesheet shaped member having a 1^(st) generally planar side and a 2^(nd)generally planar side; an elongated draw string disposed in an arcshaped array on one of said generally planar sides and secured to saidpliable sheet shaped member along an axial part of said draw string in amanner that allows axial movement of said draw string relative to saidpliable sheet shaped member, said array of said draw string beingdimensioned and configured to reach around the head of a user.
 7. Thegarment as described in claim 1 wherein said pliable sheet shaped memberis terry cloth.